Current events in the words of the students of Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur

VGSoM Weather

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

It looked amazing…just as if God had decided to bake a marble cake! And this is my reaction just by seeing the photos available on the internet (one of which you can see below). The sight was of a supreme beauty, one that only nature could create! It definitely looked picturesque…the snow settled on the sand as the largest dry desert of our planet experienced a heavy snowfall. As beautiful as it may look, snow falling on the sand dunes of Sahara is something very rare. It has happened just once before, thirty seven years ago in a much lesser intensity and the underlying reason to it is not so beautiful…rather it’s ugly!

Well, to be scientific, an extremely low pressure area was passing over North Africa which on hitting the landmass caused the air to cool suddenly and condense, thus the snowfall. But going beyond the theoretical explanation, this is a living proof of the damage we’ve done to our planet.

Global Warming, later rechristened as ‘Global Climate Change’ has been nibbling at our healthy existence slowly but steadily and the issue has clearly not been given the attention it deserves. Its only now, when few of the biggest cities in the world have become literally uninhabitable have we “somewhat” realised the gravity of the situation.

Since last few years, many parts of earth are witnessing unusual phenomenon like early melting of glaciers, heat waves in winters, undue monsoons etc. Nature has always given us subtle hints regarding the continuous damage we’ve been inflicting on it and we as the civilization have been vehemently ignoring them. But as of late, the hints have started becoming bolder like the incident stated above.

Nevertheless, it was a treat for the eyes to see white snow mixed with red sand, however we must strengthen our efforts towards green initiatives. The government of Kiribati, a pacific island nation with unparalleled beauty is buying land in Fiji for relocation of its citizens since the sea level has been constantly rising and the coral island nation may cease to exist few years down the line! Are we serious! Has it really come to this? Well, in that case it won’t be far when we would be searching for a new planet to relocate!

At the international level the environment protection must not be limited to signing of treaties somewhere in the Alps, but formulating measures to implement them. At the individual level too, there’s a lot we can and must do. For starters, let’s pay attention if we switch off the A/C next time we leave the room!

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

In today’s generation global warming is a critical issue whereby cause and effect is observed in every part of the earth. In addition, prevention in this situation is very important and it is everyone’s responsibility to discuss and implement this.
Global warming is caused by many factors one of these is deforestation where trees are being destroyed and cut down by people even though they know its effects to the environment. Next, carbon pollution that comes from fumes of vehicles and from burning of materials such as papers and plastics. The carbon emitted from these will be accumulated and eventually thickens the ozone layer of the earth which in return makes the environment hotter than the usual heat experience in the past. This event can also lead to disasters like further drought and scarcity of water in any parts of the world especially to the developing countries. It can also contribute to disease such as skin illness due to the severity of heat.
In order to prevent the further situation that the global community is facing it will come first from an individual because one can make a difference. For instance, a single person is planting trees in his community but one knows that it takes time to produce a vast number of planted trees. That individual can influence his fellow citizens to plant so in return manpower is achieve which resulted to many trees. This method can guide the government because it holds the political power of a country.
The government has a role to implement rules and regulations to prevent the further effects of global warming whereby programs can be planned and developed such as clean air act. Clean air act is implemented around the globe wherein the aim is to decrease the consumption of carbon pollution and to solve the problem in using wind and water power like wind mill or hydro power plant that produces lower emission of carbon. Another thing is to implement “no to illegal cutting of trees” in order to preserve mountains that helps citizens in disasters and severe heat.
In conclusion, it is not just the government or an individual to prevent global warming but it is everyone’s duty to control the deteriorating effects of this issue around the world.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

Mornings experience the worst air pollution in four major Indian cities, according to an analysis of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 data from IndiaSpend’s #Breathe air-quality sensors, analysed from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai from March 15 to April 15 2016.

Bengaluru: Best air quality–midnight

The worst air was at 7 am, as PM 2.5 concentrations peaked at 61.54 micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m3). The air quality improved as the day wore on, worsening by evening at about 5 pm, reaching a late-evening high at 7 pm (57.60 μg/m3). The best air quality was registered around midnight, when PM 2.5 levels fell as low to 40.12 μg/m3.

Chennai: Best air quality—3 pm

The worst air was at 7 am, with PM 2.5 levels (61.54 μg/m3) reached their peak. Levels began to peak over the night and slide during the day, after 7 am. The best air quality was recorded in the afternoon, at 3 pm, with PM 2.5 levels reaching as low as 20.76 μg/m3.

Delhi: Best air quality—4 pm

Mornings were the worst time, with PM 2.5 levels reaching as high as 108.16 μg/m3 at 7 am. Air quality gradually improved as the day wore on, registering the cleanest air at 4 pm. (22.84 μg/m3). Pollution levels then picked up through the night.

Delhi topped the list of the world’s most-polluted cities, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Mumbai: Best air quality—5 pm

The worst hour for a Mumbaikar is 8 am, with PM 2.5 levels reaching 48.61 μg/m3; the air started to worsen after 5 am. The best air quality was registered at 5 pm, when PM 2.5 levels were 22.38 μg/m3.

Outdoor air pollution causes 670,000 deaths annually in India, according to this 2014 research paper from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Air pollution has become a global concern with rising air pollution levels, as outdoor air pollution in cities and rural areas across the world estimated to cause 3.7 million premature deaths in 2012, according to the WHO.

Particulate matter, or PM, is the term for particles found in the air, including dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets. These are classified according to their diameter. Particles less than 2.5 µm (micrometres) are called PM 2.5. They are approximately 1/30th the average width of a human hair. Particles between 2.5 to 10 µm in diameter are called PM 10.

PM 10 and PM 2.5 include inhalable particles that are small enough to penetrate the thoracic region of the respiratory system. The health effects of inhalable PM are well documented, caused by exposure over both the short-term (hours, days) and long-term (months, years). They include: Respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity such as aggravation of asthma, respiratory symptoms, and an increase in hospital admissions; and mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and from lung cancer.

There is good evidence of the effects of short-term exposure to PM 10 on respiratory health, but for mortality, and especially as a consequence of long-term exposure, PM 2.5 is a stronger risk factor than the coarse part of PM 10.

There is a close relationship between exposure to high concentrations of small particulates (PM 10 and PM 2.5) and increased mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular/respiratory diseases and cancer, both daily and over time, according to the WHO.

The above data is collected from an article published in the FirstPost. The significance of this article is to create awareness amongst the masses about the severe impact of the eratic usage of vehicles and other human sourced activities that are increasing air pollution levels at this high rate. When we talk about a ‘Sustainable Future’, we talk of transferring a habitable Earth in the hands of our future generation rather than a place with all natural resources exhausted and all of the flora and fauna extinct due to severe impact on their habitats by our activities.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday justified the move to impose a 20% in water supply for breweries and distilleries in Aurangabad area, saying his government’s “first priority” is to provide water for drinking.

After hearing to this statement I started thinking about the intensity of the problem. And in another whatsapp message I was informed about Latur district of Maharastra and its water scarcity. Even the cattle are dying due to the lack of water.

With the drought situation in Maharashtra worsening day by day and the storage in dams at low, the state government is busy bringing in a law making it mandatory for industries to use recycled water. If that is impossible they should be given at least a percentage.

At a time when several parts of Maharashtra are facing severe water crisis, thousands of litres of water were used for a make-shift helipad at a village, close to the airport, where Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse landed for reviewing drought situation in Latur district.

To check misuse of water during the summer, municipal authorities in Chandigarh have decided to impose a fine of Rs 2,000 on anyone found washing cars or watering plants in the morning hours.

This type of laws should be implemented to check the water wastage at least to a certain extent. When we think of these we generally go back to a single reason called environmental misbehaviour but I feel there is a mismanagement of water in addition to that.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

Heatwave in India happens mostly in patches and in few states at a time. However, around now heatwave conditions have occurred not only early but also at the same time in a large chunk of the country.

Yes, it’s true that heatwave conditions are witnessed mostly in few pockets of a particular state however in almost all the states of East, Central and Peninsular India.

At present, heatwave conditions are prevailing in pockets of Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. Temperatures still break records at many places and the death toll has touched atleast hundred thirty.The intrinsic characteristic of heatwave is that it solely happens in pockets and not in a whole region or state.

April, May and June are the hottest months in India with summer season peaking in May, in most parts of the country. June is the onset of Southwest Monsoon in Central and Peninsular India and North India remains hot.

Heatwave is pervasive and a major phenomenon in India, claiming many lives every year. Heat comes in spurts and lasts for less than five to seven days as it is also the season for thundershowers. Heatwave per say is prominent within the interiors of the country. Hilly regions, Northeast India and coastal regions usually don’t witness heatwave conditions.

In plains, temperatures ought to exceed 40°C for declaring heatwave however within the coastal stations 40°C would amount to staggeringly hot weather if maximum touches the 40-degree mark. Even this criteria has been overruled this year as Chandbali, a coastal station in Odisha exceeded 40°C. Few coastal stations in Andhra Pradesh have also seen the mercury rise on top of 40°C. All in all, we are able to say that 2016 is turning out to be exceptionally hot and oppressive.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

Conferences of Parties held their annual meeting in Paris, France in Dec’15 to come to an agreement on combating the climate change. The conference attended by 196 members is able to reach an agreeable text now known as “Paris Agreement”. Paris agreement will come into effect latest by April’16 once all the legal procedures are taken care. As per the text, target is to limit the temperature increase by 2˚C as compared to pre-industrialization levels and net zero GHGs emission by the 2nd half of the 21st Century. To achieve these targets, each nation will add new legislatures or modify the old ones to comply with the conditions. There is a provision of 5 year review mechanism to monitor the progress and set future targets.

A large portion of success will depend on developing nations such as China and India. They are growing and consuming resources with rapid pace. These are the most populous countries in the world. So, as the living standard in these countries rise, the GHGs emission will rise with the same degree and will cause an even greater imbalance in environment. That’s why it is very important to provide cheap clean technology to developing countries so that they can transit easily between to clean energy.

Till now, there is one more conceptual difference between the developed nation’s and developing nation’s argument. Developed nations argue that the emission should be evaluated on overall country basis; on the other side developing nations argue emission should be evaluated on per capita basis. In this regards, Paris agreement goes with the developed nations but assign provisions for technology transfer so that developing countries can reduce their emissions.

Agreement also argues for the need to incentivize the green methods and promote innovation so that new clean technologies can come up. Organizations should be encouraged to invest in the green technology research and apply the known technologies. Initially some businesses need to be given some tax incentives to venture into this and then it will become a cycle. We need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel as employ new clean fuels which are less toxic. If we were able to comply with the agreement then we can left an climate where our next generations can go outside and do things, otherwise Humans will have no one else to blame other than themselves.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

The climate change issue has been discussed a lot over the past few decades. The governments across the globe have started brainstorming to come up with a sustainable solution to this long term problem. Limited resources, exploding population and short term solutions have been aggravating the issue a lot more than the way it is projected. The Union Environment Ministry, recently, has suggested some simple changes in the life styles of the people to create a substantial effect on the rising environmental concerns.

The list contains a number of practical climate-friendly suggestions that can be adopted by individuals, educational institutions and workplaces, with detailed calculations on how these simple actions can reduce annual CO2 emission and create savings. Prior to the Paris climate change conference in December, India had pledged a 33-35% cut in carbon emission intensity by 2030, and adopting a sustainable low carbon lifestyle was an integral part of the efforts that India had promised to undertake to cut down carbon emission intensity.

Eat together, cycle or walk to nearby places, take stairs not lifts, play outdoor and not spend much time on gadgets, avoid remotes, prefer yoga over treadmill, give books to juniors, and avoid flights and use video conferencing. Do all this, and you could save at least Rs.10,000 annually on your electricity bills, besides helping the cause of environment by avoiding release of thousands of kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. These are just some of the measures among the dozens that the Union environment ministry has suggested.

Last year, in the run-up to the Paris climate change conference in December, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had enthusiastically taken up the cause of sustainable lifestyles and sustainable consumption across the globe to tackle climate change. Later, when the new global climate deal was finalized, the agreement recognized that “sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption and production, with developed country parties taking the lead, play an important role in addressing climate change”.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

The importance of the world’s ocean cannot be overstated. They supply 50% of the oxygen we breathe, feed billions of people, and provide livelihoods for millions more. They are the great biological pump of global atmospheric and thermal regulation, and the driver of the water and nutrient cycles. And they are among the most powerful tools for mitigating the effects of climate change. In short, the ocean is a critical ally, and we must do everything in our power to safeguard them.

This is all the more important, given the unprecedented and unpredictable threats that we currently face. Though the ocean has been integral to slowing climate change, absorbing over 30% of the greenhouse-gas emissions and 90% of the excess heat generated since the Industrial Revolution, the cost has been huge. Ocean acidification and warming has been occurring at alarming rates, and are already having a serious impact on some of our most precious marine ecosystems – an impact that will only intensify.

Today, vast swaths of the world are experiencing what is likely to be the strongest El Niño on record. The adverse weather resulting from the phenomenon – which originates in the Pacific, but affects the ocean worldwide – is expected to affect adversely over 60 million people this year, compounding the misery wrought last year. It is a sobering reminder of our vulnerability to both natural and human-induced shocks to the earth’s systems.

Despite all of this, we continue to degrade our oceans through the relentless destruction of habitats and biodiversity, including through overfishing and pollution. Disturbingly, recent reports indicate that the ocean may contain one kilogram of plastics for every three kilograms of fish by 2025. These actions are facilitated by chronic failures of global governance; for example, one-fifth of all fish taken from the ocean is caught illegally.

Current and future generations alike need – and deserve – a healthy, resilient ocean. Growing awareness of – and strong commitments to resolve – the challenges facing our oceans is heartening. But it is just the beginning. One hopes that 2016 turns out to be the year when the world enters a new era of ocean regeneration.